What I have been reading lately #52

The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man-- James Weldon Johnson

I was assigned this in college but never actually read it. It was different from what I expected (and, I'm pretty sure, not all that autobiographical). James Weldon Johnson is perhaps better known as the author of the lyrics to "Lift Every Voice and Sing" (aka "The Negro National Anthem", aka "The Black National Anthem").

The Neighborhood of Baseball-- Barry Gifford

This book is a memoir of one man's relationship with the Chicago Cubs. I've read it several times and have always enjoyed it.

Another Day of Life-- Ryszard Kapuscinski

A Polish journalist's account of the last days of Portuguese colonial rule in Angola. Another book that I've read several times and enjoyed.

There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom-- Louis Sachar

My daughter Alexandra recommended that I read this to my fourth grade class. They enjoyed it very much.

Time for Outrage (Indignez-vous!)-- Stephane Hessel

This book was written recently by a former French resistance fighter about the need to return to the old-fashioned values of liberty, equality, struggle against oppression, etc. A good book, and it only took a few minutes to read.

Change-- Mo Yan

Mo Yan is an author I have enjoyed reading in the past, and I enjoyed this book as well. It is a short memoir of his life growing up during the Cultural Revolution and in the People's Liberation Army.

Moving Through Here-- Don McNeill

This is a collection of article from the Village Voice about the hippies, Yippies, and other assorted folks in New York City and California during the 1960s. McNeill died at a young age in a drowning accident.

Fugitive Days: A Memoir-- Bill Ayers

This is an account of Bill Ayers journey from being an student anti-war activist to helping to found the Weather Underground and spending the better part of the 1970s as a fugitive from the FBI. It was very interesting.

Out of the Whale-- Jonah Raskin

Jonah Raskin wrote this book in the mid-1970s about his life. His parents were members of the Communist Party USA; he became a college professor and then a left-wing radical and Yippie. I enjoyed reading this book.

Why I will not be rooting for the USA (or Honduras) in the World Cup

Back in October of 2009, the United States faced Costa Rica in its final qualification match. The U.S. team had already clinched a spot in the 2010 World Cup, so the game was meaningless to them, but Costa Rica's qualification depended on earning a win. The late goal by Jonathan Bornstein meant that Costa Rica had to take on Uruguay in a playoff for one last chance to go to South Africa. Uruguay won, so Costa Rica will be watching from home this year.

Obviously, people in Honduras were quite happy (and have even made Bornstein something of a hero), but I can only imagine what the Costa Ricans must have thought as they witnessed the U.S. players and fans going beserk over a completely meaningless goal.

Maybe this is the U.S. team's way of making up for the U.S. approved coup in Honduras last year.

Twelve members of the Eritrean national football team are missing

Twelve members of the Eritrean national team (the starting squad is pictured above) have disappeared while in Kenya for a regional tournament. They are presumed to have gone into hiding to escape from the oppressive regime of President Isaias Afewerki.

Protests at G20 meeting in London

At the G20 meeting today in London, leaders of the world's largest market economies met to try to figure out how to save the capitalist economic system from further meltdown.  Thousands of demonstrators converged on the Bank of England (pictured above), as well as the Royal Bank of Scotland.

(Below- A protester climbs columns in an attempt to hang his banner.)

(Below- Another demonstrator near a line of police.)

Separated at Birth #1

A young Ricky Kaka

The young Che Guevara

What I have been reading lately #13

Lemay by Barrett Tillman is part of the Great Generals Series.  I am about half-way through, which takes us to 1949 and the Berlin Airlift.  So far LeMay has helped perfect daylight bombing of Nazi-occupied Europe and night-time incendiary raids against Japan.  Still to come - LeMay's advocacy of nuclear weapons use against north Vietnam and his vice-presidential bid as George Wallace's running mate in 1968.

What I have been listening to lately #18

The Minutemen live, singing "Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing."

Idea for a televsion show #1

Chelsea have not gotten much this year out of Ukrainian striker Andrei Shevchenko, but he's given me a great idea for a television show. Shevchenko's son, Jordan, has as his godfather none other than former AC Milan president and current Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (for whom Shevchenko played for many years at Milan...) So here's the idea, or, rather, several different versions:



1. Sit-com: Shevchenko and his model/wife and all his extended relatives suddenly and tragically die at some sort of family reunion. His children, Jordan and Christian (and let's throw in a made-up girl-child just to balance it all out), have to go live with their godfather, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Imagine the hi-jinx as the Italian Prime Minister tries to raise three bratty kids while still running one of the world's most contentious democracies! (There's an American version in there, too - imagine if Ivan Rodriguez had asked G. W. Bush to be the godfather to his kids back when Rodriguez played for and G.W. owned the Texas Rangers - then imagine three darling Puerto Rican kids running around the White House, arguing over who gets to use the red phone, getting in Dick Cheney's way!)



2. Reality show: (I don't normally approve of this sort of thing...) Famous politicians are suddenly given custody of the children of dead professional athletes. Cameras follow them around to see what happens - braces, fights over the bathroom, trips to exotic foriegn locales, photo-ops with Henry Kissinger, etc.